Anyone who has dealt with unwanted advances at work knows the feeling of shame that ensues. The truth is, I had no idea what to do. I had never talked about it, even with my most trusted female mentors. It is not the kind you can prepare for, it is all consuming.

Once upon a time, you decided to take a few months away from your career to spend time with your new baby, or tend to a sick relative, or start your own business. Perhaps those months turned into years and you now find yourself wanting to return to the workforce. Don't despair. By following the six steps below, you can take control of the back-to-work process and will restart your career in no time.

Don't get me wrong, email is both a blessing and a curse, but it needs to be used thoughtfully, in the same way that you wouldn't barge into a conversation in progress and blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. It can quickly shift the conversation off-course and simply be off-putting. An email can interrupt in the same way, so you want to use it intelligently.

What we need to do is make sure you have successful days. Having a healthy day is actually fairly simple. Humans were designed to move, your goal every day is to be more human. You've got 24 hours in a day and ideally it looks like this.

How do you prepare your kids for the likelihood that some work days, perhaps even a lot of them, won't feel especially fulfilling? According to professionals with children, that conversation needs to come early and often.

My mentoring work has led me to conversations with millennials who have left a positive and lasting impression. I have learned much from them -- practically and personally. Their different view of the world, while seemingly foreign to the older generations, can provide a different lens through which to see things that can have a profound effect on business.

When we hold executive meetings here at our offices, the room is split 50/50 between women and men around the table. It's not an image that's often seen in our digital technology field and one that needs to become more norm and less exception.

I know, in the internet age, many people think boundaries are passé. This is clear to me when I contemplate people's selfies on social media and their transgressions on Twitter. But I want to reframe the discussion to show that boundaries can be healthy. So let's explore some of the benefits.

Business is global and more competitive than before and managers' loyalty is to the bottom line (and their bonuses). When spending 10 or more hours together in the workplace, relationships (romantic and otherwise) are bound to result. So, here are 10 reasons why a boss/employee relationship is not a good ide.

Arguably industrialization revolutionized the workplace, but so has digitization. Working smarter and faster does not always mean easier however. Expectations have increased. I remember working in advertising and spending countless hours faxing creative proofs to clients for approval.

It happens at moments when you least expect it: in the shower, while out for a run or, for me, right before falling asleep. Cultivating "a-ha" moments seems about as likely as forcing a pot to boil water faster, but there are tactics you can use to encourage them.

In case you missed it, this constant sitting is literally killing us, leading researchers and pundits to declare that sitting is the new smoking. If you accept that theory, then just about everyone in a white-collar job is the equivalent of a heavy nicotine addict.

If not repaired, the unhappy Gen Xers who will remain in organizations will be unable to pick up the slack caused by retiring boomers and will stall the development of millennials. Gen Xers are currently supervising millennials bosses. So when observers warn of millennials leaving the workforce in droves, they might want to first investigate their Gen X bosses and their feelings of value.

What if you were in a horrible job and it resulted in more visits to the doctor's office? What if the Western world was actually getting unhealthier as a result of unhappy careers and even unhappier workplace environments? What if there were health consequences to the predicament employees face in their current positions?

This is a generation that cares about their community and is very motivated to make a difference. By providing opportunities to positively impact their community, you will also help them feel good about themselves and their company, which will ultimately have a profound impact on relieving their stress.

Work-life balance used to be a straightforward concept: you worked during the day and your evenings and weekends were yours. Today however, mobile technology keeps us constantly connected. In order to promote healthy work-life balance in a wireless world, companies need to create an environment that supports a new model: work-life integration.

Does your organization have a wellness program? I'll bet you do - in some form or another. Most organizations do -- or at least they say they do. Chances are good that your wellness program, no matter how elaborate or simple, is not delivering the outcomes you had hoped. There are 3 key reasons for that:

Women now constitute nearly half of the North American workforce, and in nearly half of households all adults work, but the business model of most Canadian law firms has not evolved to reflect this significant social change. A change in management approach is clearly needed.

If you are a victim of workplace bullying, you need to read the wisdom of Seth Godin, outlined: The way to work with a bully is to take the ball and go home. First time, every time. When there's no ball, there's no game. Bullies hate that. So they'll either behave so they can play with you or they'll go bully someone else.

I just came across your website. I was looking for a solution on Google for "how to tell an intern that she stinks." She also wears the same clothes, every day, for the entire week. I am responsible for the retail counter in an aesthetic clinic. I have never been faced with this sticky situation; to tell or not to tell an employee that she smells.

Focus on what you are looking forward to every day (not what you are dreading, not that your car might not start at the end of the day, not that you are dreading the slow ride home, etc.). Throughout the day (during breaks is a great time), ask yourself 'What went well so far today?' Then, pause and enjoy the experience.

I'm ready to drop the charade that looks don't count. They do. It pays to look good and the sooner we accept that appearances tell a story that affects our professional success, the less guilty we'll feel about being vain.

I've worked in a lot of different office environments, both non-profit and for-profit. Some of these places were wonderful, fun, and I was sad to leave. Other workplaces were, quite frankly, toxic. Happy employees are productive employees (to paraphrase Radiohead). So here are some tips to give your staff some love. (Hint: Stressing out your employees is a great way to achieve turn-over and burn-out.)

I was concerned about Kate and I met with her in person. When she told me what was going on at her firm, it became clear that there was an element of sexual discrimination or harassment. Articling students facing such harassment have few choices. They could make a complaint to the Law Society, file a complaint under the firm's internal workplace harassment policy (assuming it exists), consult an employment lawyer or perhaps bring a human rights complaint. The power dynamics of articling make such options not particularly appealing to most students. So most would stick it out.